Magnetic separating means for cigarette-making machinery



June 23; 1959 H; coLoT 'ETAL 2,391,670

MAGNETIC SEPARATING MEANS FOR CIGARETTE-MAKING MACHINERY Filed May 28, 1957 :5 Sheeflas-Sheet 1,;

My; @04 Wm ATTORNEYS June 23, 1959. I v COLQT ET AL 2,891,670

MAGNETIC SEPARATING MEANSYFOR CIGARETTE-MAKING MACHINERY Filed May 28, 1957 :5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS M11, Mat

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MAGNETIC SEPARATING MEANS FOR CIGARBTTE'MAKI'NG MACHINERY Filed May 28. 1957 V 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOES W 4%, MYJW ATTORNE Y3 United States Patent MAGNETIC SEPARATWG MEANS FOR CIGARETTE-MAKING IVIACHINERY Hyacinthe Qolot, Brussels, Alphonse De Ridder, .ltette St. Pierre, and Albert Herinckx, Berchem, Ste. Agathe, Belgium, assignors to Molins Machine Company, Limited, London, England, a British company Application May 28, 1957, Serial No. 662,288 Claims priority, application Great Britain June 21, 1956 1 Claim. (Cl. 209-217) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to cigarette-making machinery.

A cigarette-making machine usually comprises a hopper in which cut tobacco is placed in bulk and is fed by various feeding and controlling devices, eventually being showered into a trough so as to be formed into a stream on a travelling surface. The cut tobacco sometimes contains foreign matter, some of it metallic, and it is the usual practice to employ magnets for the purpose of extracting magnetic material from the tobacco as it passes through the hopper. Such magnets have usually been located at some suitable position in the hopper so that tobacco would pass beneath them.

According to the present invention there is provided, in a cigarette-making or other tobacco manipulating machine, a device for extracting magnetic material from tobacco in the hopper, comprising a magnetised member arranged to be moved through the tobacco in the hopper in contact therewith.

Further according to the invention there is provided in a cigarette-making or other tobacco manipulating machine, a raking device for raking tobacco in the hopper, wherein the device comprises magnetised prongs which engage the tobacco. The device may comprise at least one permanent magnet arranged in contact with a plurality of prongs.

Apparatus according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a raking device in the hopper of a cigarette-making machine,

Figure 2 shows a pair of prongs,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a permanent magnet, and

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing part of the hopper of the cigarette-making machine.

Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus comprises a series of rakes formed by prongs 1 arranged to be swung upwardly and downwardly through a mass of tobacco in the hopper of a cigarette-making machine. The prongs are arranged in pairs, each pair being secured to a bar 2 mounted on one end of a rod 3 whose other end passes through a bar 4. The bar 4 extends across the Whole {width of the hopper, but only a part of it is shown in Figure 1. The bar 4 has extension spindles 5 at its ends, which pass through the side walls 6 of the hopper and are supported in hearings in members 7. At that side of the hopper which is shown in Figure l, the extension spindle 5 is connected to a link 8 by which it is rocked so as to impart swinging movement to the rakes. For this purpose the link 8 is pivoted on one end of a further link 9 whose other end is pivotally connected to a lever 10. The lever 10 is pivoted on a crank 11 which is rotated through a sprocket 12 from the main drive of the machine. The lever 10 at its upper end operates other devices, not shown, which are unrelated to the present invention.

Referring to Figure 2, which shows a pair of prongs l secured to a bar 2, the left-hand prong as viewed in Figure 2 extends through an aperture 13 in the bar 2 and is fixed therein by brazing. The other prong passes through an oval aperture 14 and has a threaded end projecting from the bar, the prong being secured to the bar by a nut 15.

A permanent bar magnet 16 is arranged between the prongs 1, in firm contact with both prongs, and is held in position by a bolt 17 which is accommodated in a groove 18 in the lower face of the magnet (see Figure 3) and whose ends pass through the prongs. A nut 19 secures the bolt in position.

The driving connection between the spindle 5, Figure 1, and the link 8 comprises a pin 20 which is spring-urged into a recess in a collar clamped on the spindle, a further recess being provided in the collar so that if desired the spindle can be turned to and held in a diflierent angular position relative to the link 8, by lifting the pin 20 out of the one recess, turning the spindle, and allowing the pin to engage in the other recess. The purpose of this arrangement is to enable the rakes to be swung upwardly higher than usual to facilitate cleaning.

The operation of the device is as follows. On rotation of the crank 11, the bar 4 is rocked and the magnetised prongs 1 are moved upwardly and downwardly in an arcuate path through tobacco which is being conveyed through the hopper. If a piece of magnetic material in the tobacco engages a prong, or comes close enough to it to be attracted into contact with the prong, it will be carried up by the prong on an upward stroke. On the next downward stroke through the tobacco, the piece of magnetic material will tend to be brushed or pushed along the prong towards the magnet, so that pieces of material picked up by a prong tend to accumulate in the region of the magnet.

When the machine is stopped, the rakes can be swung upwardly to an accessible position by disengaging and re-engaging the pin 20 in the manner described above, so that the prongs can be cleaned and magnetic material removed from them and from adjacent parts.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a tobacco manipulating machine having a hopper, a device for extracting magnetic material from a mass of tobacco in the hopper, said device comprising a rake having magnetized prongs extending into the tobacco mass, a bar to which the rake is secured, said bar being mounted above the tobacco mass in the hopper for pivotal movement, and means for oscillating the bar to move the rake to and fro in the hopper so that the prongs of the rake will sweep through the tobacco mass by direct contact therewith to attract any metal particles to the prongs for removal from the tobacco.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

